Worst 2012 Lincoln Mkz Problems
Top 3 most-reported issues with average mileage at failure.
Airbags
Steering Defects
Brakes
Check the actual VIN — every car is different.
This page shows the model year's reputation. The VIN tells you about this specific car — accidents, title issues, odometer rollbacks. Full report just $4.99 (vs. Carfax $44.99).
All Problems by Category
Every NHTSA complaint category for the 2012 Lincoln Mkz.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Avg Mileage | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbags | 68 | 4 | — | 40,964 mi | |
| Steering Defects | 20 | 5 | — | 82,726 mi | |
| Brakes | 17 | 2 | — | 70,195 mi | |
| Electrical Faults | 9 | — | 1 | 76,057 mi | |
| Body Structure | 9 | — | 1 | 87,243 mi | |
| Engine Problems | 5 | — | 1 | 70,213 mi | |
| Headlight/Taillight Failures | 3 | — | — | — | |
| Unintended Acceleration | 3 | — | — | — | |
| Electronic Stability Control | 2 | 1 | — | — | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Transmission / Drivetrain | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Seat Belt Issues | 2 | 1 | — | — | |
| Hydraulic Brakes | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Wheel Issues | 2 | 1 | — | — | |
| Firerelated | 1 | — | 1 | — | |
| Latches/Locks/Linkages:Doors:Latch | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Automatic Transmission | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Power Train:Automatic Transmission:Control Module (Tcm/Pcm/Tecm) | 1 | 1 | — | — | |
| Seat-Related Issues | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Pedals And Linkages | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Structure:Body:Door | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Visibility | 1 | — | — | — |
Search Owner Complaints
Read what owners actually reported to NHTSA for the 2012 Lincoln Mkz. Type a keyword (e.g. “transmission”, “stalling”, “brakes”) to filter.
Recalls for 2012 Lincoln Mkz
5 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting ~4,433,585 vehicles.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2007-2011 Ranger, 2006-2012 Fusion, Lincoln Zephyr, Lincoln MKZ, 2006-2011 Mercury Milan, 2007-2010 Ford Edge, and Lincoln MKX vehicles. The driver's side air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014 Ford Mustang vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Additionally, Ford is recalling certain 2011 Ford Ranger and Mercury Milan vehicles, 2011-2012 Ford Fusion and Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ vehicles and 2011-2014 Ford Mustang vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." Ford is also recalling certain 2010 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX vehicles, 2010-2011 Ford Ranger and Mercury Milan vehicles, 2010-2012 Ford Fusion and Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ vehicles, and 2010-2014 Ford Mustang vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of AK, CO, CT, ID, IA, ME, MA, MI, MN, MT, NH, NY, ND, OR, RI, SD, UT, VT, WA, WI, and WY or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, used as original equipment or replacement equipment (such as after a vehicle crash necessitating replacement of the original air bags), that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2010 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and 2010-2012 Lincoln MKZ vehicles that previously received a replacement passenger air bag under recall 16V-384, 17V-024 or 18V-046. In the event of a crash requiring deployment of the passenger air bag, the bracket that secures the air bag inflator to the module housing may deform, allowing the gas that inflates the air bag to leak out.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2012 Ford Fusion and Mustang and Lincoln Zephyr and MKZ vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" above, Ford is recalling certain 2009 Ford Ranger, Edge, Fusion and Mustang, Lincoln MKX, MKZ and Zephyr and Mercury Milan vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia, or "Zone B." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" or "Zone B" above, Ford is recalling certain 2007-2008 Ford Ranger, Edge and Lincoln MKX, 2006-2008 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, Lincoln Zephyr and MKZ, 2005-2008 Ford Mustang and 2005-2006 Ford GT vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Ford Fusion vehicles without a 3.5L engine and Lincoln MKZ hybrid electric vehicles, 2011 Mercury Milan vehicles, 2011-2012 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS, and Lincoln MKT vehicles equipped with a 3.5L GTDI engine and 2013 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS, and Lincoln MKT vehicles equipped with any available engine. The affected vehicles have electric power steering assist systems that may shut down as a result of a steering motor sensor fault.
Other Lincoln Mkz Years
2012 Lincoln Mkz — FAQ
Answers based on real NHTSA complaint and recall data for this specific model year.
Is the 2012 Lincoln Mkz reliable?
What are common problems with the 2012 Lincoln Mkz?
At what mileage do problems start on the 2012 Lincoln Mkz?
How safe is the 2012 Lincoln Mkz?
Does the 2012 Lincoln Mkz have any recalls?
Should I buy a 2012 Lincoln Mkz?
Source: NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) complaint and recall databases, aggregated by VinItel.
Wider context: See the full Lincoln Mkz reliability report with year-by-year comparison and generation analysis.
Check Your Specific 2012 Lincoln Mkz
Real owner complaints tell you about the model. The VIN tells you about your specific car — accidents, title issues, odometer fraud.
Check Any VIN — $4.99